Alhambra’s future voters took their role seriously as part of the 420 residents and students who attended the Kids and Candidates – A Community Engagement Forum on October 11 at Alhambra High School.

More than 100 Alhambra High School students gained inspiration to become more civically involved as they staffed the event, asked issue-based questions and engaged in one-on-one discussions with the three attending City Council candidates.

The format was also unique. The free event kicked off with a Community Engagement Fair in the Alhambra High School quad, where students and residents interacted one-on-one with the three City Council candidates, enjoyed a lively performance by the Alhambra High School Jazz Band, and visited information tables staffed by school and community groups.

Then the kids and candidates got down to business. Alhambra City Council candidates Katherine Lee and Andrea Lofthouse-Quesada, both running for the First District City Council seat, and Adele Andrade-Stadler, running for the Fifth District, engaged in a robust, politically neutral roundtable discussion, moderated by Tom Hollihan, professor and director of doctoral studies at USC Annenberg School of Communications. Candidates Suzi Dunkel-Soto, Laura Tellez-Gagliano, Ross Maza and Julian Reyes were invited but declined to attend.

Alhambra High School students’ and residents’ questions included the hot-button issues of affordable housing, traffic congestion, bike lanes, need for more green space, historic preservation and a historic preservation ordinance, how to encourage civic engagement in a diverse community, and how to market Alhambra’s cultural assets to visitors. The goal of the Kids and Candidates Forum was to provide students and residents with an opportunity to hear the candidates’ positions on these issues, according to the organizing coalition members.

Mission accomplished, according to the students. “This impacts my perspective on American politics because by hearing what these candidates have to say, it gives not only me but all of us a view into political matters so that when we will be of voting age, it will help shape who we feel can make the best contribution to our world,” said Amanda Tang, 16, a junior at Alhambra High School.

According to feedback from the survey handed out at the end of the event, a majority of the attendees found the forum helpful in their voting decisions, but were disappointed not to hear from all the City Council candidates and felt it was disrespectful of the four candidates not participating.

“Through my participation in this forum I have learned that you can make your voice heard no matter if you are under the age of 18. You just have to find the right places,” said Jonathan Reynosa, 16, a junior at Alhambra High. “I believe my role in civic matters in the future will be to inspire others in my generation and in other generations to go out and make their voices heard. I want to inspire people to create change in our community. Being able to ask questions directly to the candidates has affected my view on politics. This forum has made me confident in my own opinions and encouraged me to make my voice heard not only in political affairs just in California, but all over America.”

Kids and Candidates, a community engagement forum, will be held on Thursday, October 11, 2018 from 6-8:30 p.m. at Alhambra High School, located at 101 South 2nd Street in Alhambra. The event is free to the public. Spanish and Mandarin translators will be available at the event. For more information, visit the event’s site.

Alhambra City Council candidates and Alhambra school board members have been invited to participate in the pre-election event. The round-table discussion will be moderated by Tom Hollihan, professor and director of doctoral studies at USC Annenberg School of Communications. The event is being co-sponsored by the Alhambra Teachers Association, Alhambra Preservation Group, Alhambra Source, Alhambra Latino Association and Grassroots Alhambra.

Highlights of the event will include an hour, starting at 6:00 p.m. in Alhambra High School’s quad area, where attendees and students can meet with City Council candidates, Alhambra School Board members and Alhambra community groups while enjoying a performance by the Alhambra High School Jazz Band. At 7 p.m., Alhambra City Council candidates will participate in an issues-based round-table discussion in the high school auditorium. Community planning, schools, environmental sustainability, public health and safety, historic preservation, transportation, development and infrastructure are just a few of the topics that may be discussed at the forum.

Students will be involved in many different aspects of the fair and forum. High school students will be involved in the development of potential forum questions, staff informational tables, entertain attendees at the community engagement fair and provide event support throughout the evening. “A vote is a voice,” stated Anthony Hu, student at Alhambra High School and Public Relations Committee Lead with Vote at 16-SGV. “A fundamental part of our democracy is that all community members can express their own opinions and be heard.”

The goal of the Kids And Candidates Forum is to give Alhambra City Council candidates the opportunity to discuss the various issues affecting Alhambra and provide residents and students with an opportunity to hear the candidates’ positions on these issues, according to organizing coalition members. Given the many issues facing our city, the coalition invites all Alhambrans to attend this event and receive the information they need to cast an informed vote on Election Day.

Alhambra Preservation Group (APG) hosted a free guided tour of the historic Langham Huntington hotel in Pasadena – and everyone came! More than 60 APG members and non-members came from throughout Southern California to enjoy our winter outing on Saturday, March 3 at the Langham Huntington Hotel.

Combining fun with our mission to highlight the historic architecture of Alhambra and its surroundings, we were thrilled at the overwhelming interest of history and architecture enthusiasts who came from Alhambra, San Marino, Fullerton, La Canada-Flintridge (five lovely Delta flight attendants), Glendale, West Los Angeles and as far as away as Rancho Cucamonga to experience the glory of our area’s most venerable hotel, opened in 1907.

We were also pleased that it provided a wonderful opportunity to familiarize these like-minded folks with the work of Alhambra Preservation Group. We signed up many people to receive our newsletter and future event information.

The Langham was a most gracious host. Suzie Tadevossian, Langham guest services manager, welcomed our group, followed by remarks from APG board member Susan Bejeckian and APG vice president Barbara Beckley.

Then it was off on the tour. We were divided into three groups of 20 each, to provide a more intimate tour experience. Each of the three lovely Langham Service Stylists: Cherylin Baines, Andres Jackson and Aileen Ventura, provided history, insight and even a bit of gossip as they led us through the public rooms, gardens, across the Picture Bridge (which is undergoing renovation, but replicas of the original paintings will be back and the originals safely protected) and past the private villas. This was the first time many of the participants had experienced the hotel, even though they knew of its landmark status.

Afterward, most everyone stayed for tea or early cocktails, enjoying the elegant ambiance and making new friends. Many of the out-of-towners planned on driving through the area, and I gave directions to Alhambra’s nearby iconic buildings including the Carmelite Monastery, the Norman Rockwell studio home and the Father of the Bride home. A good time was had by all – providing proof of how important it is to preserve and protect our historic assets.

In case you missed this event, The Langham Huntington offers free, two-hour Service Stylist-guided tours daily at 2 p.m.

Update: Due to the overwhelming response, we are limiting the tour to the first 60 people who check in at the hotel lobby. Once we reach the 60 person cap, unfortunately we will have to turn people away and ask them to return another day. But remember! This tour is offered daily by the Langham Huntington Hotel and if you are turned away on March 3, you can take the same great tour at a later date. While we are thrilled that so many people are interested in touring this historic hotel, we underestimated the level of interest in an event of this kind and are needing to limit the number. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

It’s been a famed Pasadena landmark for more than 100 years in Pasadena, offering guests enchanting hospitality since 1914. To celebrate the hotel’s tenth anniversary as a Langham property, the public has the opportunity to take a historical property tour of the Langham Huntington Hotel.

Join Alhambra Preservation Group on a tour of this historic hotel on March 3, 2018. The tour is free and gives attendees an overview of the hotel’s history, its elegant ballrooms and lounges as well as its beautiful gardens and courtyard and pool area.

Saturday, March 3, 2018

2:00 p.m.

The Langham Huntington Hotel

1401 South Oak Knoll Avenue

Pasadena, CA 91106

Valet parking is available for $6 with validation from one of the hotel’s restaurants. There is no street or self-parking available. Carpooling is encouraged. Please meet in the hotel’s main lobby.

We’ve all heard stories about the woman who finds a Picasso painting tucked away in a long-forgotten corner of her attic or the man who happens upon a letter penned by John F. Kennedy tucked between the pages of his grandmother’s diary. Alhambra has a recently discovered architectural gem of its own in the historic Chapel of Saints Simon and Jude.

Alhambra’s quaint Chapel of Saints Simon and Jude, which will be adapted and reused within the proposed Camellia Court development, was designed by Reginald Davis Johnson, a renowned architect, who shaped Santa Barbara’s visual identity and designed National Register of Historic Places-worthy homes, public buildings and churches. Reginald Davis Johnson’s designs range from the Biltmore hotel in Santa Barbara to All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, from elegant mansions to nationally recognized public housing projects.

Join Alhambra Preservation Group and Alhambra Historical Society at a co-sponsored event to explore the life and architectural designs of Reginald Davis Johnson, Alhambra’s link to this architectural visionary and learn more about other architects whose designs can be found in Alhambra’s neighborhoods.

Join Alhambra Preservation Group for an evening of coffee, cookies and questions with Alhambra’s two newly elected City Council Members, Jeff Maloney and David Mejia.

Thursday, June 29, 2017

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

901 North Bushnell Avenue, Alhambra, CA 91801

This is an opportunity for Alhambrans to get to know their two newest City Council Members and ask questions about Alhambra’s future and any community concerns. Additionally, the City of Alhambra will have just released its updated General Plan, and we will provide an update on the next steps related to this important development in our city.

This event is free and the general public is welcome to attend. Light dessert refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to info@alhambrapreservation.org by June 25, 2017. We look forward to seeing you there!

This year Alhambra Preservation Group celebrates 10 years as a non-profit organization. Founded in 2003 by Katherine Hildreth and Oscar Amaro, Alhambra Preservation Group began as a small group of concerned Alhambra residents who loved local history and wanted to stop the razing of historic homes and structures in Alhambra. Today, APG boasts a membership of more than 100 households.

“For 10 years, APG has been a pioneering force, educating Alhambrans and advocating for the preservation of Alhambra’s historic resources,” stated Joyce Amaro, Alhambra Preservation Group President. “APG’s inaugural home tour in 2004 introduced Southern California to Alhambra’s beautiful Arts and Crafts homes. Likewise, APG’s Meet the Candidates Forum in 2006, hosted in partnership with the Pasadena League of Women’s Voters, was the first time in Alhambra’s history that residents had the opportunity to ask questions of candidates running for Alhambra City Council,” continued Amaro.

Alhambra Preservation Group continues that pioneering spirit today with its advocacy and activism. In 2015, it rallied its members to lobby for the inclusion of a Preservation Element in Alhambra’s update to its General Plan. Because of APG’s efforts, 52% of Alhambrans surveyed stated that historic preservation should be a priority in the City of Alhambra’s future planning efforts.

In 2016, APG developed a Google Map that identified more than 500 historic homes, businesses, churches and schools that still stand in Alhambra. A presentation given by APG board members last summer highlighted Alhambra’s architectural resources and asserted that Alhambra is one of Southern California’s most architecturally diverse cities, featuring close to 25 different architectural genres and sub-genres. Because of these mapping efforts, APG has been invited by the California Preservation Foundation to make a presentation on the Google map at CPF’s annual conference, which will take place in Pasadena in May, 2017.

Last year also saw the creation of the Advocacy and Action Committee. This committee has been integral in re-establishing APG’s presence at City Hall and monitoring community development activities.

The coming year will be no different. We’re gearing up for a year of education and advocacy. Here are just a few of the activities we’re planning:

Join us on a free tour of the Pasadena Tournament House on February 23. APG board member, Barbara Beckley, a former Rose Princess, will co-lead a tour of this mansion, which was the winter home of William and Ada Wrigley and now serves as the headquarters of the Tournament of Roses.

A “Meet Your New Councilmembers” event in the spring will give APG members the opportunity to meet Alhambra’s two new council members, Jeff Maloney and David Mejia.

In the summer we will organize a special 10-year fundraising campaign and Thank You APG Members event.

Our annual Heritage Awards in the fall will honor Alhambra homeowners and residents. This year we’ll be introducing the Founder’s Award, which will honor an Alhambran whose work in the area of historic preservation has been especially noteworthy.

We’ll also look to the future, asking members and residents to provide input on what APG’s goals should be for the next 10 years.

Are you ready to celebrate with us? It’s going to be an exciting year!